By Adam Renno.
Rimfire Challenge brought me into the sport and I stay for the friends I have made in the community. On a local level, clubs are pretty laid back with most people only competing against themselves. Everyone is very welcoming to new shooters and willing to share strategies, tips, and allow others to try out their equipment.
When I first decided that I wanted to try Rimfire Challenge competitions, I was worried about embarrassing myself due to a lack of experience. I spent over a year learning how to shoot at speed before attending my first local match. I saved up for all the nice racing parts for my guns to make sure I did not feel like I was the odd one out. I placed 3rd of nearly 20 competitors and I remember being upset with myself that I had not just jumped in earlier. I had a blast and realized I could have been doing it the whole time. No one was judgmental to me or anyone else at all and I felt fully included right away. I did not need to be the expert I thought I did. If I had just showed up as I was with the equipment I had, I could have been enjoying matches that whole time. It was a great environment to learn and meet people with similar interests. Some of the most fun I’ve had is just joking around between stages with other shooters, I think that’s where the magic of the sport really takes place.
As I improved and started branching out to bigger matches around the country, I found that atmosphere is not exclusive to my local area. Even in World Championships, the top rimfire competitors share the same comradery with each other despite struggling for the same placements. I have shared hotel arrangements with peer-level competitors, practiced with them the night before major matches, gone head-to-head with them for the gold, then gone out for dinner together after it’s over.
I would not trade those friendships and experiences Rimfire Challenge has given me for anything and they are what keep me invested in the sport, both on the local and world level.
Adam Renno is from Northwest Indiana and on Team Volquartsen. He is one of the top shooters in both Steel Challenge and Rimfire Challenge.
- 2022 World Rimfire Challenge World Championship – 8th Open
- 2022 Indiana State Rimfire Challenge – 2nd Open and 2nd Overall
- 2022 Area 5 SCSA Championship – 1st place RFPO and 3rd Overall
- 2022 Indiana State SCSA Championship – 2nd place RFPO and 2nd RFRO
